Ever since the beginning of time, meat has been a staple of the human diet. People have many reasons why they chose not to consume meat. One of the most common reasons some people chose not to eat meat is because they believe that it is unethical. There are many processes required in order to produce meat for conception, and these processes have become widely known to the public and cause a great deal of controversy. Animals are often tortured, genetically modified, and live in squalid conditions before they become the meat we put on our dinner tables. In Michael Pollan’s book, An Omnivore’s Dilemma, we are focused on many different views of eating meat and other foods that are products of animals. The majority of those who chose to consume
Slap, whip, abuse. This is what comes to mind when people think of when it comes to livestock. This assumption is misleading and inaccurate because this is only showing the bad side to what actually goes on. The livestock industry is viewed as immoral and inhumane but in reality, we do so much more good than bad but the truth is being kept away. In the industry we care for the livestock, we provide for whatever they need, and simply, it’s a lifestyle.
“Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat”, is a famous quote by the well known philosopher Socrates, who believed this is the perspective we should take when we are eating food.Unfortunately, the times have changed and so has the way we eat. We no longer have to go hunting for our food, or grow crops to receive all of our fruits and vegetables. Because we have become a society that has grown into the new world of technology, there would be no need to rely on ourselves for what we need-- we can simply gather our resources from other people. In the book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”, written by Michael Pollan, takes us on a journey full of concerns of the “Food Industrial Complex”. Even though the novel speaks mainly of the issues with the food on our plate, these issues are more deeply connected and reflected in former President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Military
Many people question whether or not the morality of treating animals in a humane way outweighs the morality of cheaper food for a nation where 1 in 6 people are facing hunger, and/or starving in any way. Back in the day, a while after World War II, industrial agriculture was applauded as a technological success that permitted an ever growing population to practically feed themselves. Now, many farmers and scientists see it as a blind alley, rather made for factory work. The way we are going in a population that is constantly
“To satisfy the public's ever-growing appetite for meat, slaughterhouses in the United States killed ten billion animals last year. That's 27,397,260 animals every day, 1,141,553 every hour, 19,026 every minute” (Jones). Many animals are being placed in slaughter houses each year to meet this high demand. Farm animal welfare refers to the state, living condition, and treatment, animals are but under in farms. Cruel animal welfare has spread throughout the world killing millions of animals in inhumane ways. Farmers do not care about the living conditions for the animals; they are just trying to reach the demand to produce enough meat to make money. Animals in these slaughter houses are going to be slaughtered for consumption; they should live
moral to do that? You may think it depends. But let me tell you a story. When asking
Both Pollan and Hurst agree that animals should be a part of our diet, however they disagree on the amount and type of meat people should consume. Pollan believes that people should limit the amount of meat that they eat, and that it should be organic (376). Hurst, on the other hand, believes that animals are free to be eaten, and that industrial farming is the only way to satisfy the increasing population. Both authors are concerned about the welfare of animals, but have opposing beliefs on how their wellbeing should be maintained. Hurst believes that animal should be upheld by the use of industrial farming tools that benefit the animals, such as pig gestational crates. Pollan, however, believes that animal welfare should be espoused by allowing animals to live free-range and follow their natural instincts. Pollan and Hurst are also concerned with protecting the environment, but disagree on what the best avenue of protection is. Pollan believes that the environment would be better protected if animals were put back on farms and raised organically (370). Hurst believes that industrial farming practitioners are sufficient in their efforts to protect the environment because they are conscious of the effects industrial farming has on the environment, and they take steps to reduce the harm it could have on the environment, such as monitoring nitrogen levels. The authors, despite their differing views on the best way to accomplish their beliefs, successfully convey their
Grazing and growing feed for livestock now occupy 70% of all agricultural land and 30% of the ice-free terrestrial surface of the planet. If these current events continue, meat production is predicted to double between the turn of the 21st century and 2050. Yet already, the Earth is being overpowered by livestock that consume massive quantities of energy and resources, whose wastes contaminate waterways and farmlands, and when eaten excessively, degrade our health. Pollan makes a considerable point when discussing concentrated animal feedlot operations, “The economic logic of gathering so many animals together to feed them cheap corn in CAFOs is hard to argue with; it has made meat, which used to be a special occasion in most American homes” (pg. 67, An Omnivore's Dilemma). So, yes we have made it cheaper and easier to acquire the highly desired meat, but if we have to slaughter our cows after 14-16 months because their rumen produces gas and slime that bloat the organ and causes respiratory ailments that would inescapably lead to their death, then maybe there is a flaw in our system. Maybe, as Sir Albert Howard in a way theorized, there is no shortcut. Inevitably the consequences will catch up with us, no matter how fast we
Have you ever thought about which animals are near extinction or endangerment ? Have you looked them up? How many are left? Which ones have been removed? Do you know why they are going endangered? Have you heard what a dodo is? Well yeah it’s extinct. Do you know why? Do you know why it’s important to save an endangered animal?
Animals are being abused everyday and they are not taken into consideration when you see them being abused. They are suffering and they are being abused everyday and you all need to stop it. Animal cruelty is not something that just goes away the person doing it will keep doing it until someone stops them. Everyone needs to stop animal abuse and if everyone starts to make a difference others will to. Animals need help with this and everyone needs to help them. Animals all over the world are being abused every single day most of them will not make it to see tomorrow or have the love of a family they desire.
These voiceless victims of the world, are killed every second of every year, in fact, usually when animals are born, their death is already planned. Industrial meat production not only consists in the suffering of animals but also has a negative effect against the environment [deforestation, air and water pollution, water and energy waste, and extinction of species both plants and animal]. This includes cows producing greenhouse gases that increase climate change, and water usage in meat production is said to take 2,400 gallons to produce only 1 pound of meat [peta.org]. With this new innovation it is said [according to the Supermeat company (?)] that there will be 90% less land being
Animal welfare is very important also for us humans, for our own health, nutrition and security when eating animals.
Raise your hand if you have ever used a product from any of the following companies. Victorias Secret, Maybelline, Calvin Klein, Axe, Band-aid, Johnson and Johnson, Tide, Febreze. Almost everyone in this room has used a product from one of these enormous companies and brands. So why, what do makeup companies, clothing companies, and cleaning products have in common? All of these companies are just a fraction of companies that test their products on animals such as mice, rabbits, primates, cats, and dogs. Yes even man’s best friend isn’t exempt from being injected with drugs and diseases in the name of science. These companies have continued their evil in the dark, in countries with little to no regulation on animal testing. The only way to stop these companies from experimenting on and abusing animals is to show them that they no longer operate in the shadows, but their wrongdoings are on display for the world to see, and that the world does not like what it sees. We must patronize companies with principles, and encourage others to follow. I am just as guilty as everyone in this room, I too have used these products, and it is up to all of us to stand together against these horrific experiments on animals. Let’s start with bunnies, cute, fluffy, loveable bunnies. According to PETA over 139,000 rabbits are experimented on every year, having things like dishwasher soap, drain cleaner, and makeup dripped onto their eyes. So what happens afterward, surely these animals are given
In today’s world, there is a division among the people in the world regarding whether or not it is ethical to eat meat. After researching about eating meat and vegetarianism, I have come to the conclusion that it is indeed ethical to eat meat in today’s society. Sure, eating meat might have its drawbacks, but I have found that the benefits of eating meat far outweigh the negatives of eating it. Eating meat not only helps improve people’s health, but it also helps strengthen our economy and it has little difference in the environmental impact that involves in the farming of vegetables.
Imagine a day in the life of a common farm animal. Far from the peaceful grazing life one would envision, the livestock of today endure horrific conditions - from suffering painful diseases to being separated from their mothers at too young of an age. Not only are these conditions harmful to the animals, the food produced by them is unnecessary to humanity’s well-being and can even be damaging to society’s overall health. Since the definition of ethics is having well-founded standards of right and wrong, this process of producing meat for our consumption is unethical.